CCI-450 vs. Fed 205M

[Old Navy]

I tried to edit this topic and it went away. I hope the new data I added shows up here.

I have had a brick of 205M on the shelf for a backup in case 450s dried up. Decided yesterday to do a little side by side test. Fired nine rounds of CCI-450s, cooled ten minutes and fired nine rounds of the 205Ms. The Garmin gave me the results below.

PS: I am going to bum some 7 1/2 Rems from my son and see how they stack up.

4/6/25 I have been waiting two weeks to get the same range conditions as when I posted the above primer test. The weather was perfect today. 47 degrees and a slight cross wind. I shot all these rounds with about 7-8 minutes between strings. Three three shot groups. The results are amazingly close the the other two. The first two strings were fired on 3/23/25.

 

[Murray Brook]

I've used quite a bit of both primers in my BR's and PPC's. I found that N-133 showed a slight preference for the Fed 205's. Other than that I did not see much of a difference . JME

 

[Emmett Dibble]

Glad to see that. I have a case of each on the shelf and those should last me a couple years.

 

[EdHarley]

Any difference at the target?

 

[DHuffman]

Any difference at the target?

Exactly, that's the important part

 

[Murray Brook]

Any difference at the target?

If you are asking me, yes I got slightly smaller nicer groups. Seemed with the 205's the load was easier to tune with N-133. Very little vertical or horizontal . This is in my Sako PPC. Now in my 6BR with N-135 and 64-68 gr bullets I found the 450 to be the prefered primer.

 

[Bill Norris]

If you are asking me, yes I got slightly smaller nicer groups. Seemed with the 205's the load was easier to tune with N-133. Very little vertical or horizontal . This is in my Sako PPC. Now in my 6BR with N-135 and 64-68 gr bullets I found the 450 to be the prefered primer.

I have found the same with anything from 6mmBR on up I get better chrono #'s and better groups with the CCI-450 primer.

 

[Old Navy]

Any difference at the target?

The BR-4 had a slight edge. All three strings averaged in the mid .2s". With my eyesight that was the best I could do.

 

[NCVarhtr]

Great information----Thanks for sharing. !!!!

 

[markm87]

Wow. Your velocities are way more consistent than mine. I've subbed in 210m in .223 and seen a 45 fps jump in .223 ammo.

 

[Jackal2016]

Wow. Your velocities are way more consistent than mine. I've subbed in 210m in .223 and seen a 45 fps jump in .223 ammo.

Wow, ...you actually got 210M's to fit in a small primer pocket? lol Just kidding, I think you meant 205M's. I haven't tried anything other than 205M's so far in 223 bolt applications so far.

 

[markm87]

Wow, ...you actually got 210M's to fit in a small primer pocket? lol Just kidding, I think you meant 205M's. I haven't tried anything other than 205M's so far in 223 bolt applications so far.

Yes. I meant 205m. Actually they were the Fed AR Match.

 

[Old Navy]

Wow. Your velocities are way more consistent than mine. I've subbed in 210m in .223 and seen a 45 fps jump in .223 ammo.

I have a super load. It would be hell on varmints if I was still doing that.